Iron Maiden have 17 studio albums and we know more than 70 of their songs. A show is two hours, which fits maybe 19 of them once you account for Rime of the Ancient Mariner eating a quarter of an hour on its own. So every setlist is an argument: 70 candidates, 19 places, five band members with opinions and a room full of people who each came to hear something specific. This is how we settle it.
The six we can't drop
Some songs are non-negotiable, and pretending otherwise is how tribute bands get chased out of Yorkshire. The Trooper, Run to the Hills, The Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Fear of the Dark and Wasted Years appear in effectively every show we play. Between them they're the songs a casual fan is guaranteed to know, the songs the diehards would riot without, and, not coincidentally, most of the top of our ranking of Maiden's best live songs.
That's roughly 35 minutes committed before we've discussed anything. The argument is over the other 85.
The opener sets the contract
We nearly always open fast. Aces High, with the Churchill speech and the siren, is the classic because it makes a promise the rest of the night has to keep: this is going to be loud, quick and delivered flat out. Opening with something mid-tempo tells the room it's fine to stay near the bar. It never is.
The closing pair matters just as much. Fear of the Dark into a final sprint (usually Run to the Hills or Trooper, whichever hasn't already appeared) sends people out singing. The encore conversation on any given night is mostly about which of those we held back.
How a deep cut earns its slot
Three or four places in every set go to songs that make the lifers grin: Where Eagles Dare, Flight of Icarus, Phantom of the Opera, The Evil That Men Do, or something properly obscure from the list in our deep cuts guide. A deep cut earns its place by doing a job the hits can't: showing off the twin guitars, giving Jon's voice a different register for ten minutes, or simply proving we've done the homework across all seventeen albums rather than learning a greatest hits CD.
The discipline is stopping at three or four. A set that's half rarities flatters the band and punishes the audience, and we're there for the audience.
Tour themes change the maths
Some years we build the whole argument differently. In 2025, the Yorkshire's Finest Tour setlists leaned into album anniversaries: Live After Death, Brave New World and The X Factor material got featured runs. This year's Piece of the Beast Tour anchors every show on The Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind, which means Where Eagles Dare and Revelations, normally deep cuts, are suddenly load-bearing. It keeps the shows fresh for the people who come back year after year, and it keeps us honest as musicians, because album-focused sets force you to learn the songs everyone skips.
The room gets a vote
The same weekend can hold a biker show and a village social club, and those two rooms should not get an identical set. Festival slots run shorter and hit harder, 45 minutes of nothing but anthems. A club crowd that's ours, at somewhere like the Duck & Drake where we've played for years, will happily take Rime of the Ancient Mariner in the middle of the night and sing the "one after" bit unprompted.
And yes, we take requests, with two caveats: ask early in the night, and accept that the answer to Empire of the Clouds is admiration for your ambition.
Come see the argument resolved
Every show is a different answer to the same question, which is the best reason to come to more than one. Our current dates run across the North and beyond, from Blackpool to Pontefract; the gigs page has the list, and meet the band if you want to know who's making these decisions. Venues wanting a themed or tailored set for an event: that's a conversation we enjoy, start it here.
Frequently asked questions
How many songs are in an Ey Up Maiden set?
Around 18 to 20 songs across a two-hour show, drawn from a repertoire of more than 70 Iron Maiden songs. Festival and party sets of 45 to 90 minutes run proportionally shorter.
Do you play the same setlist every show?
No. Six or so signature songs appear at virtually every show, but the remainder rotates by venue, tour theme and audience, so repeat visitors get a genuinely different night.
Do you take song requests?
Yes, within reason. Ask early in the evening and we'll fit requests in where the set allows. Anything from the 70+ song repertoire is fair game.
What is the Piece of the Beast Tour setlist based on?
The 2026 tour anchors each show on The Number of the Beast (1982) and Piece of Mind (1983), alongside signature songs from across the catalogue. Highlights include Where Eagles Dare, Revelations and Flight of Icarus.
Can we choose the setlist for a private booking?
Largely, yes. For private events and venue bookings we build the set with you, balancing your picks with what we know carries a room. Contact us to talk it through.
Last updated: 18 September 2026.
